By Davis of Dallas                                    H.B. No. 2540
         76R6816 GCH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to survivor benefits payable by retirement systems for
 1-3     police officers and firefighters in certain municipalities.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 6.06, Article 6243a-1, Revised Statutes,
 1-6     is amended by adding Subsection (u) to read as follows:
 1-7           (u)  In this subsection, "alternate payee" and "qualified
 1-8     domestic relations order" have the meanings assigned by Section
 1-9     804.001, Government Code. Notwithstanding any provision of this
1-10     article to the contrary, a person who is an alternate payee and a
1-11     former spouse awarded a share of benefits payable under this
1-12     article by a qualified domestic relations order has the status of a
1-13     surviving spouse and is entitled to the same portion of benefits
1-14     payable to a surviving spouse as was awarded in the order
1-15     applicable to the alternate payee's  former spouse.  This
1-16     subsection does not increase the amount of benefits otherwise
1-17     payable under this article to a surviving spouse.
1-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
1-19     applies to all payments of benefits to a surviving spouse that are
1-20     made on or after that date.
1-21           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.